Wednesday, May 2, 2012

TOTAL CIRCUIT 009

Hi guys!

It's been a little while since we put a new Total Circuit up here so we thought it high time to correct that. This one has a large focus on core strength and shoulders after a special request from our good friend Amy who wanted a workout to help her with her pole dancing classes. Pole dancing has become really popular in recent years as a fun and intense way to keep fit and strong and it requires a large amount of whole body strength, core, coordination and flexibility so it could be really good cross training for climbing.
Anyhow, here's the workout, mainly focusing on core to help Amy and Co. with their pole dancing and the rest of us with our core in general. There's no video this week but instead we're trying photo's to show all the exercises. As usual there are some you have done before and some new ones we are including for the first time so check out the photos and descriptions and try to perform each one as well as you can.
As usual set your stop watch for 1 minute rounds and do each exercise non stop for a whole minute before moving on to the next one and when you complete all 10 exercises go back through them one more time for a total of a 20 minute core blasting workout! Be sure to perform each exercise smoothly and evenly and try to complete as many reps of each in the minute while maintaining good form. Of course the static poses are just to be held statically for the whole minute.

Now go get training!
Enjoy!
Duncan

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Here are the 10 exercises...

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1. Alternating Superman - hold the opposite arm and leg out horizontal, hold each side for 5 seconds, then swap to the other side. If these are too easy try them on your toes, no knees on the floor, in a plank position.

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2. V - Sit to 5 second Boat Pose - Lay back, arms above your head then sit up into the boat pose and hold for 5 seconds, go back down and repeat.

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3. Push Up to Side Plank - Perform a normal shoulder width push up then rotate up into a solid side plank, hold the position for 3 seconds, then back down, push up again and up on the other side, repeat.

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4. Boat Pose Scissors - Sit up into boat pose and scissor your legs up and down in a steady rhythm.

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5. Superman - lay down flat on your front, hands by your head and raise your legs and chest up of the ground and hold statically for the whole minute. You can do this also on a stool or across a chair for a variation.

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6. Uneven Forward Pushups - Place your hands for a push up but have one hand forward and one back, do 3 push ups on this side then swap positions and repeat for the minute.

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7. Headstand - Place your hands and head on the ground to form a solid triangle and smoothly pull yourself up into the headstand position and hold for the minute.

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8. Extended Plank - Perform a plank but with your hands as far forwards as you can manage and hold statically for the minute.

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9. V - Sits - Lay back, arms by your head and raise your legs and torso up at the same time into the shape of a V, then back to the ground and repeat.

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10. Star Plank - Another plank variation but this time with your hands as far to the side as you can manage to hold statically for the whole minute.